Caesar De Bello Gallico 1.6 Course Notes

Latin III

Instructor:  James Ransom

January 17, 2014

Caesar, DBG 1:6

Course Notes
© 2014 James Ransom, M.A., J.D.

[6]          1         Erant omnino itinera duo, quibus itineribus domo exire possent: unum per Sequanos, angustum et difficile, inter montem Iuram et flumen Rhodanum, vix qua singuli carri ducerentur, mons autem altissimus impendebat, ut facile perpauci prohibere possent;

 2         alterum per provinciam nostram, multo facilius atque expeditius, propterea quod inter fines Helvetiorum et Allobrogum, qui nuper pacati erant, Rhodanus fluit isque non nullis locis vado transitur.         3         Extremum oppidum Allobrogum est proximumque Helvetiorum finibus Genava. Ex eo oppido pons ad Helvetios pertinet. Allobrogibus sese vel persuasuros, quod nondum bono animo in populum Romanum viderentur, existimabant vel vi coacturos ut per suos fines eos ire paterentur.

4         Omnibus rebus ad profectionem comparatis diem dicunt, qua die ad ripam Rhodani omnes conveniant. Is dies erat a. d. V. Kal. Apr. L. Pisone, A. Gabinio consulibus.

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1            Erant omnino itinera duo, quibus itineribus domo exire possent: There were but two routes out of their native land; "possent" is third person plural imperfect active subjunctive of the irregular possum, posse, potui; "they would be able to."  "possent" controls the infinitive "exire," present active infinitive of exeo, exire, exii, exitum, "to exit, depart."  domo":  ablative of place from which. 

unum per Sequanos, angustum et difficile, inter montem Iuram et flumen Rhodanum

One through Sequani territory, a narrow and dangerous pass between the Jura mountains and the Rhone;

vix qua singuli carri ducerentur, mons autem altissimus impendebat, ut facile perpauci prohibere possent so that wagons might barely be led single file; not only that, but the high peak looming overhead allowed a mere handful of men to block passage easily;

"possent":  note the recurrence of the subjunctive of possum, this time controlling the infinitive "prohibere."  "per" lends intensive force to "pauci."  "impendebat" is third person singlar imperfect indicative active of impendo, impendere, impendi, impensum. "ducurentur" is third person plural imperfect passive subjunctive of duco, ducere, duxi, ductum. 

2            alterum per provinciam nostram, multo facilius atque expeditius the other through Roman Gaul, much easier and more expedient; "provinciam nostram"=a common expression for the Roman-occupied and -administered area in southern Gaul.

propterea quod inter fines Helvetiorum et Allobrogum, qui nuper pacati erant,  Rhodanus fluit isque non nullis locis vado transitur because the Rhone flows between the land of the Helvetians and that of the Allobroges--who had just recently been pacified--and may be forded at several locations; "transitur" is third person singular present indicative passive of the irregular transeo, transire, transii, transitum, "to go across."  "fluit" is third person singular present indicative active of fluo, flere, fluxi, fluxum, "to flow."  "non nullis"=litotes. 

3            Extremum oppidum Allobrogum est proximumque Helvetiorum finibus

Genava.  Ex eo oppido pons ad Helvetios pertinet.  The most distant outpost of the Allabroges, and nearest to the land of the Helvetians, is Geneva. A bridge reaches from Geneva to Helvetia; "pertinet" is third person singular present indicative active of pertineo, pertinere, pertinui, "to extend, stretch out, reach to."   

Allobrogibus sese vel persuasuros, quod nondum bono animo in populum Romanum viderentur, existimabant vel vi coacturos ut per suos fines eos ire paterentur The Helvetians calculated that either through diplomacy or violence they could bend the Allobroges, who did not yet appear to be on friendly terms with Rome, to yield them free passage through Allobroges territory; "paterentur" is third person plural imperfect active subjunctive of patior, pati, passus sum, "to suffer, endure, allow, acquiesce, submit."  "ire" is present infinitive of eo, ire, ii, itum, "to proceed, advance, go."  "coacturos" is the future active participle of cogo, cogere, coegi, coactum, "to force, compel, encourage."  "vi" is ablative singular of the third declension noun vis, vis, f., "force, power, violence."  "existimabant" is third person plural imperfect indicative active of existimo, existimare, existimavi, existimatum, "to think, suppose, estimate, judge, consider."  "viderentur" is third person plural imperfect passive subjunctive of video, videre, vidi, visum.  "persuasuros" is the future active participle of persuadeo, persuadere, persuasi, persuasum, "to persuade, convince, induce."

4            Omnibus rebus ad profectionem comparatis diem dicunt, qua die ad ripam Rhodani omnes conveniant. Is dies erat a. d. V. Kal. Apr. L. Pisone, A. Gabinio consulibus When all preparations were completed, they stated the day on which all were to gather on the bank of the Rhone:  28 March [i.e., 58 B. C., "in the consulship of Lucius Piso and Aulus Gabinius" (Edwards)].  "conveniant"  is third person plural present subjunctive active of convenio, convenire, conveni, conventum, "to convene, assemble, meet together."  Jussive subjunctive.  "comparatis" is the perfect passive participle of comparo, comparare, comparavi, comparatum, "to prepare."